Neiman Marcus spreads its global wings

By Amy DustoAssociate Editor

The luxury retailer starts selling in more than 100 countries.

Luxury home and apparel retailer The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. announced yesterday that it has begun selling internationally to online shoppers in more than 100 countries. The retailer selected FiftyOne Global eCommerce to handle payments, currency conversions and customs details for shipping the goods out of the United States.

To bolster the announcement, Neiman Marcus also began on Tuesday a holiday promotion for flat-rate shipping on all international orders from now until Dec. 10. That rate equates to about $21, according to Internet Retailer’s checkout estimates.

"Neiman Marcus has stature as a global fashion authority and our partnership with FiftyOne enables us to readily serve our international customers," says John Koryl, president of Neiman Marcus Direct. "We are thrilled to be able to deliver customers around the world the unparalleled Neiman Marcus online shopping experience of luxury and designer brands."

At the top right of the web site’s navigation bar is a U.S. flag and the words “Shipping to: United States,” with an option to change the country. When consumers click to change, a pop-up window asks them to select both a country and preferred currency; the two need not match. At checkout, they have the option to pre-pay customs and duties with a guarantee that there will be no additional charges on delivery, or they can opt to pay all custom charges and brokerage fees to the carrier upon receipt.

FiftyOne’s platform accepts payments in more than 60 currencies, the vendor says, and it guarantees exchange rates through the entire order cycle. As well as managing currency conversions, payment processing and customs clearance and brokerage, FiftyOne also offers international fraud management and logistics, it says.

Neiman Marcus Group is No. 41 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. It also operates stores for brands Last Call and Bergdorf Goodman. FiftyOne serves at least two other retailers in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.